Weatherization is the process of making a home or building more energy efficient. This includes caulking, installing insulation and sealing cracks around windows and doors.
The benefits of weatherization are far-reaching. It saves money for families, revitalizes communities and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. It also provides a valuable training ground for the home performance industry.
Reduced Energy Bills
Whole-home weatherization helps you save money on your energy bills by making your house more energy efficient. Air leaks and under-insulated areas in homes waste large amounts of heating and cooling energy. Adding insulation and air sealing can stop unwanted chills from seeping into your home in the winter and help keep it cool on those scorcher days.
During the colder months, families will find that their heating costs decrease significantly after weatherizing their homes. The cost of the weatherization services is usually recuperated within a year.
Lower-income households spend a higher percentage of their income on energy costs and therefore benefit the most from the energy efficiency improvements offered by weatherization. The new climate laws like the Inflation Reduction Act offer tremendous incentives for households of all income levels to invest in clean energy technologies and whole-home weatherization.
The benefits of weatherization extend beyond just reducing household energy costs, however. Reduced energy use translates into reduced greenhouse gas emissions as well. Energy use in homes accounts for 20% of greenhouse gases produced in the United States. Weatherizing homes is one of the most effective strategies for addressing this problem.
Increased Home Value
Homeowners can often see a return on investment from weatherization improvements, especially if they plan to sell their home. The benefits of these energy efficient measures include reduced utility bills, better indoor air quality and potentially increased home value.
The energy efficient building shell that weatherization provides reduces drafts in winter and hot and cold spots in summer. It also helps to prevent heating and cooling systems from working overtime as they try to compensate for inefficient homes. This extra work causes wear and tear on these systems and leads to higher maintenance costs, not to mention increased operating emissions that enter the environment. In addition to providing a cost-effective way to improve energy efficiency in existing housing, Weatherization provides important social and economic benefits for families that are struggling to meet rising household costs. Families receiving weatherization services report fewer missed days of work, lower out-of-pocket medical expenses and other benefits that reduce the strain of high energy prices.
The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) provides free, comprehensive, state-of-the-art energy audits and installation of insulation, air sealing and heating system upgrades for eligible households. Eligibility is determined based on household income relative to the federal low-income guidelines. For more information about eligibility, contact SEVCA at or visit our website HERE. In Connecticut, homeowners and rental property owners can receive weatherization services through a variety of organizations.
Better Indoor Air Quality
The air inside a home or apartment can contain many pollutants including carbon monoxide, radon, volatile organic compounds, mold and dust. These pollutants can cause health problems such as difficulty breathing, dizziness and congestion. Indoor temperatures and humidity are also important factors. People with asthma, allergies or hypertension may be more sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity.
Weatherization is a process that reduces the amount of pollutants in homes and apartments by sealing and insulating them. This can help people with a variety of health conditions by reducing their exposure to harmful pollutants. It can also improve indoor air quality by reducing the amount of energy that is used in heating and cooling homes.
While weatherization can help improve indoor air quality, it is important to make sure that proper ventilation is maintained. Proper ventilation can allow outdoor pollutants to escape and indoor pollutants to be replaced with fresh air. This is especially important for older homes that have poorly ventilated chimneys or vents.
As energy efficiency upgrades become more common in homes, it is important to consider how they can impact indoor air quality. By addressing IAQ with the same attention to detail as energy savings, more energy can be saved per house and health risks from pollutant exposure can be avoided. In addition, by reducing both home energy usage and peak electricity demand, weatherization helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
A Positive Contribution to Society
Weatherization improves occupants’ quality of life by decreasing health risks from inadequate heating and cooling. In addition, reduced energy costs allow people to spend less money on other necessities such as food and clothing. Weatherization also reduces air pollution by decreasing demand for power produced by dirty coal and natural gas power plants.
Poor indoor conditions, such as low heating and high humidity can cause respiratory illnesses like coughing, wheezing, and chest tightness. Additionally, radon and mold can be trapped in poorly ventilated homes. Weatherization services address these issues by installing ventilation systems, testing for radon and mold, and replacing old windows with new, lower-energy double-glazed ones.
Low income households spend an average of $283 a year on energy bills. The savings from weatherization can help alleviate this burden by freeing up other energy assistance resources to serve more families. The program also supports local family-wage jobs and reduces carbon emissions. According to a national evaluation, every dollar invested in the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) returns $2.78 in non-energy benefits to the community.
WAP is administered by states, territories and tribes and is funded through grants from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The network is made up of community action agencies and other nonprofit organizations that utilize a combination of in-house crews and private contractors to perform weatherization services for eligible households.